Lions add Jason Hanson to Ring of Honor

Posted by Michael David Smith on April 9, 2013, 12:18 PM EDT

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Jason Hanson played more games for the Detroit Lions than any player has ever played for any single NFL team, and the Lions announced today, after Hanson announced his retirement, that Hanson will remain an ever-present part of the team as the newest member of its Ring of Honor.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz, one of eight head coaches Hanson had in his 21 seasons with the Lions, made the case at Hanson’s retirement press conference that Hanson deserves to be enshrined in Canton one day.

“You took him for granted because you had so much confidence in his ability to do his job,” Schwartz said. “Jason Hanson is a Hall of Fame kicker.”

Lions owner Bill Ford Jr. acknowledged that there’s been more bad than good for the Lions during Hanson’s career, but appreciated that Hanson has been a reliable part of the franchise for more than two decades.

“For a whole generation of Lions fans, there’s been one kicker,” Ford said. “No matter how disappointing the season, you could always count on Jason Hanson doing his part — and a little bit more. . . . There were times when it seemed like he was our leading tackler on special teams.”

Hanson noted that when he first joined the Lions, teammate Barry Sanders called him “Baby J” because he looked like a little kid. Hanson’s nickname in the locker room during his last season was “Pops.” From Baby to Pops, that’s a long journey with one team.

Saw plenty of Hanson as a Vikings fan. Solid and reliable kicker for what seems like eternity. Best of luck finding a new one. I think we’re set for the next 20 years with Blair Walsh here in Minnesota.

If he’d played for the Redskins he would be retiring with Super Bowl rings.

blackandbluedivision says:Apr 9, 2013 12:34 PM

The Lions teams were so bad all those years. They had to rely on a kicker. Just because field goals were all the points they could muster for a long time, doesn’t mean he should be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. I would send Viniteri before this guy.

fighting69th says:Apr 9, 2013 12:35 PM

See ya loser. Now all we need is that dumbass center gone. Last player of the losing teams. Go Lions

As a Lions fan, I had Jason Hanson for 20 years, Eddie Murray for 20 years before that. I shudder to think what it must be like to hear the words “open kicking competition” in reports from training camp.

Kudos on a great career, Jason. Pure talent and pure class combined with longevity is a once-in-a-lifetime combination. I’m lucky you were a Lion.

Wow we have some real genius caliber comments here so far. Even one from a Jets fan who seems to have forgotten that his team is the laughingstock of the league!
its was a joke loosing up there guy also at least the jets have a ring may have been a very long time ago but we have at least one!

Although Jason Hanson had the bad luck to be drafted by the most inept ownership regime in pro sports in the last half century, Lion fans have at least been treated to three decades of stellar placekicking, between Eddie Murray and Hanson. It’s not quite the same as transitioning from Montana to Young or Favre to Rogers but for a hopelessly downtrodden fan base, it’s been a comforting to know that at least one skill position would be handled longterm by a dependably gifted, classy and loyal professional, everything a fan would want from a star athlete. We will miss Jason Hanson and can only hope that we can say the same one day about M. Stafford.

Great kicker but, I don’t think he makes it to the hall considering punter Ray guy hasn’t made it in. Adam Vinatieri will be the second Kicker to make in in the Hall. Shame Hanson never really played on a relevant team.

edisbetterthantroy says:Apr 9, 2013 1:01 PM

@logicalvoicesays:

I’m proud to see that he’s actually comparing and associating his team with a franchise on the Skins’ level of dysfunction. Good to see you you’ve come down to reality a bit and are throwing stones at a franchise that might actually be worse off than Washington. But a huge question mark when I say “might”…

Morton Anderson and Ray Guy need to go in the HOF first…
Congrats on a great career.

butkus54 says:Apr 9, 2013 1:54 PM

The addition of Jason Hanson to the teams Ring of Honor is a fitting and we’ll deserved honor.
In my opinion he represented the Lions organization with class and dignity over his entire 21 year career.

broccolilava says:Apr 9, 2013 2:10 PM

LOL @ haters bombing a thread about one of the coolest and most consistent players in our lifetime retiring on good terms from a team he played with his whole career.

bgm9876 says:Apr 9, 2013 2:14 PM

he should.

lionzfan69 says:Apr 9, 2013 3:10 PM

You have to be a Lions fan to appreciate Jason Hanson. For years, every Sunday, the only thing Lions fans could count on was ineptitude, disappointment except for the always solid performance of Jason Hanson. True class and professionalism. It is pretty sad that the owner of your franchise almowl;edges that your kicker is one of the leading tacklers on special teams.

I still think Lions fans should file a class action lawsuit for pain and suffering. There is alot of truth behind the earlier comment about the ownership. It has to be related to the Lions failure. Football is too great a sport for the Lions to ruin it every season. Hopefully we are turning things around.

Where will his name be placed in the ring of honor? Right down the middle, of course.

EJ says:Apr 9, 2013 4:12 PM

Hansen fully deserves to be placed in the Ring Of Honor, if not the HOF also. He holds many records with the Lions, some will be very hard to beat. He has been a consistent part of the team and I’m sure many Lions fans would agree, he has been one of the best Kickers in the NFL, If not THE BEST.

dwntwnbadboy19 says:Apr 9, 2013 4:20 PM

Not a lions fan, but respect him. Dude could probably play 5 more seasons and be better than a lot of starting kickers.

hopefully it’s temporary, maybe 1 year ……. you can’t, as a serious franchise, have a kicker in your ring of honor ……. thats reserved for men who play football !!!! not soccer players that weren’t good enough to play soccer …….. Barry Sanders wants to be traded to the Green Bay Packer ring of honor.

wryly1 says:Apr 9, 2013 5:04 PM

Hanson lasted way longer than most PK’s because he converted a high perccentage of FG’s. But there is one reason he wont’t be considered an all-time great or legit HOF candidate: 70% of his lifetime FG conversions were in dome stadiums. Compare that to one of his contemporaies like Phil Dawson – over 80% of whose conversions were outdoors in the AFC North.

rpiotr01 says:Apr 9, 2013 5:22 PM

A generation of Packer fans grew up knowing only one QB – Brett Favre.

A generation of Lions fans grew up knowing only one kicker – Jason Hanson.